1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the field of communication networks, and in particular, to a communication system that alerts wireless communication interfaces for incoming calls.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When a call comes into a communication device such as a telephone, pager, or facsimile machine, the communication device alerts a user by some type of audio, visual, or other sensual notification for the incoming call. Wireless communication devices such as cell phones, pagers, and personal digital assistants (PDAs) provide the user mobility to be notified of incoming calls wherever the user may be located. Recently, these wireless communication devices have expanded in number and functionality. Unfortunately, the wireless communication devices cannot handle all types of incoming calls. For example, a wireless PDA cannot accept incoming facsimile (fax) calls. Thus, mobile users are not notified and do not receive all types of incoming calls.
Also, when a call comes into a shared pool of communication devices, the communication equipment does not know which communication device is available and capable to handle the call for a specific user. For handling unavailable communication devices, prior communication systems include call forwarding that forwards a call from an unavailable communication device to an available communication device. To handle a shared facsimile machine, one prior communication system notifies users after the call has been accepted like facsimile software that e-mails a user after the fax has been received.
Call alerting is one function in setting up a call. A service control point (SCP) is a communication device used in call set-up to translate dialed numbers to route calls to specific destinations. In one example, an SCP translates a dialed 800 number to route the 800 call to the appropriate, long distance carrier that is responsible for the dialed 800 number.
One prior system in call center routing uses an SCP and a call center processor to route toll free calls for a call center to a specific agent to handle the call. FIG. 1 depicts a communication system with a call center in the prior art. When a telephone 110 initiates a call to a call center 150, a switch 130 generates and transmits a Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP) query to an SCP 120 for call set-up. The SCP 120 processes the TCAP query. After identifying the call center 150 from the TCAP query, the SCP 120 generates and transmits a routing query to the call center processor 152. The call center processor 152 processes the routing query to identify which agent at the call center 150 has the availability and capability to handle the call. The call center processor 152 replies to the SCP 120 with call information identifying the agent telephone 154. The SCP 120 replies to the switch 130 with the call information identifying the agent telephone 154. The switch 130 extends the call from the telephone 110 to the switch 140. The switch 140 then extends the call to the agent telephone 154. One problem is the call center processor 152 that determines the call routing for the call center 150 is not mobile. Thus, a mobile user cannot be notified of incoming calls and decide where to route the incoming calls.
Another prior communication system uses conference bridging to connect numerous users into one communication session. Conference bridging is a communication service that provides conference call capabilities to users without a switchboard or conference call equipment. A user calls a bridge operator with the conference call information such as time of day and the length of the conference bridge. The bridge operator then assigns a bridge number to the conference bridge. Then the bridge operator then calls and connects the other users to the conference bridge. Alternatively, the other users call and proceed through a series of conference bridge access sequences. The user then enters the bridge number and joins the respective conference bridge. One disadvantage of conference bridging is there are numerous steps that a user must follow to set up a conference bridge and notify all users of the conference bridge number.
Unfortunately, none of these prior systems provide a mobile user the ability to be notified of incoming calls and to route the incoming calls to a specific communication device that can handle the incoming call.